1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a webbing retractor for use in a seatbelt system for restraining and protecting an occupant of a road vehicle in an emergency of the vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For the webbing retractors, such an arrangement is commonly used that the remaining portion of the webbing for restraining the occupant is wound up to the retractor by a biasing force, made it possible to be freely wound out in the normal running condition of the vehicle, and, in an emergency, a pawl is engaged with a ratchet wheel solidly secured to the take-up shaft, whereby wind-out of the webbing is instantaneously stopped, thus reliably securing the occupant.
However, with such a webbing retractor, in an emergency of the vehicle, when the pawl is engaged with the ratchet wheel, the tooth top of the pawl impinges on the tooth top of the ratchet wheel and the pawl is sprung back, and it takes a long period of time for the pawl to be reliably engaged with the ratchet wheel to stop wind-out rotation of the ratchet wheel and the take-up shaft, during which time the webbing is wound out to an appreciable extent, whereby the occupant becomes restrained imperfectly, thus incurring such possibilities that the function of securing safety of the occupant is impaired.